Hold on to this while it's slipping away
by Linneagb
Summary: The last time Archie meets his dad one morning. Fred isn't feeling too great *Rest in peace Luke Perry*


**Well, ehrm… hi. My name is Linnéa and some of you already know me from other fandoms like Glee or Harry Potter. I've been wanting to try writing for Riverdale for a bit. And after receiving the news of Luke Perry's passing the day before yesterday I wanted to… well, write something for it. I came up with this. I hope you like it even though it's sad. **

**It's told from Fred's point of view. **

"Good morning dad."

At noon one Saturday morn… day my son came from his room into the kitchen.

"Morning? Have you checked the time?"

Archie smirked and checked it on his phone, then smirked again when he realized for how long he had been sleeping this "morning"

"Are you okay?" I rubbed my forehead, then looked down on Vegas who kept whining and stepping around as if doing some sort of dog's tap dancing. "Dad? Are you okay?"

"Just a headache…" I rubbed my forehead again as if that would help. "…don't worry about it."

"Okay… Well, I was going to meet Jughead at pop's… Is there anything you need?"

Archie's voice was almost covered by the noise of Vegas whining, and despite how many times I had tried to push him away he was right by my feet again.

"What's up with you today? Are you worried? You don't have to be. I'll be alright." Vegas whined slightly again and I saw in the corner of my eye when Archie frowned at him. "Do you remember when we first adopted him it was meant to be your dog only and you were going to take care of him?"

Archie always looked kind of ashamed when that was mentioned…

"Don't worry about it. Some of my best times has been with this big, yellow, furball. Adopting him was definitely one of the best decisions ever made, wasn't it boy?"

Tiredly, with Vegas stepping so close to my legs I had to keep an eye on him not to kick or stumble on him, I took the bottle of Advil and poured out a pill into my hand before I suddenly dropped the bottle in dizziness and grabbed onto the counter not to fall right over.

"Hey, hey, hey." I could hear his quick footsteps when Archie rushed over and laid a hand on my shoulder just as I opened my eyes again. To a world that wasn't spinning this time around. "You know… I could stay home, and make sure you're okay."

Archie took the bottle I had dropped, put a pill in his hand and poured up a glass of water, I rolled my eyes at him. But he still held the pill up to my mouth, and then the same with the glass. And tipped it so I didn't even have to move my head from its spot to swallow.

"Any time there were pills or any medication to be taken when you were little I would do exactly that. Do you remember?"

"I learned from the best. Do you want me to stay home?"

"It's only a migraine." I smiled at him and tried to make it seem not as shaky as I felt. "Go out with your friends, eat all the kinds of unhealthy meals at pop's." I reached for a small plastic box in one of the kitchen cupboards, opened it and pulled out a few bills. "Here, my treat."

"Thanks dad." He took them and pushed them down into his pocket "But… you know this is a whole lot more than what a milkshake cost right?"

"I know…. Keep the change, buy something for Jughead… You're young. There must be something you need or want."

Archie shrugged and pushed the money down his pocket. Then seemed like he wanted to say more but didn't for almost a minute.

"Is there anything you need or want?"

"Some peace and quiet please."

"Point taken… Feel better."

I nodded when the headache grew worse for a second and closed my eyes- the light hurt…

"I'll bring you something to eat when I come back. So don't worry about any cooking. See you later."

I was probably more grateful than I had the chance to say right then.

If I had known what was about to happen…

I looked after Archie as he walked away from me and despite the headache, I suddenly wanted to call him back, wanted him to tell me every single detail about himself that I didn't know about. Every single detail about what had happened during the time he was away and we were away from each other…

"Archibald?" My son stopped in the door and glared back at me. "You know I love you. Right son?"

Since those long weeks when Archie had been on the run it had felt more important than ever to say it out loud. And suddenly having thought

"I know that. I love you too, although a little bit less for every time you speak that name out loud."

I couldn't help but laugh…

That wasn't a very good idea!

Just as the door closed with a click I was hit by a wave of nausea so strong I had to spin on my heal and lean over the kitchen sink, then coughed and heaved with everything I had eaten since twenty for hours and sour bile came back up and into the sink.

"Oh dear…" It must have taken at least ten minutes until my stomach was so empty I'd been left dry heaving. And the headache had only gotten worse with every heave. "SHUT UP!" Vegas kept whining at me, I knew I should have put the water on running but I couldn't take any more noise right now. "I'm sorry Vegas, this isn't your fault…"

And it was then a headache a thousand times worse than any other struck me. I couldn't help but give a yelll in pain when I collapsed on the kitchen floor.

_Maybe I should have asked Archie to stay home…_

This had to be something else than just a regular migraine. And with the little movement I could make I felt my pockets for my phone…

I couldn't pull it up… If I had I'd never have been able to open it or press the buttons…

Maybe I already knew that this was the end.

I tried to push myself up and pull my phone up again. I should get up and get in the car, go to the hospital…

I could do anything but to just give up and slip away…

But it was like my whole body was failing, I couldn't feel my legs, then I couldn't feel my arms to move at all.

Vegas whined and then started licking my face, as if to tell me to get up. His wet tongue going along my cheeks and my forehead was the last thing I knew before I felt myself slipping away…

**The title comes from a song, slipping away by Moby. **

**Random fact (I always leave these on the end of a chapter)**

I was probably going to have written something with Archie and Fred if I would have written another story earlier…

**Rest in peace Coy Luther Perry III October 11****th**** 1966- March fourth 2019 **


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